If Love Should Count You Worthy
by WriterFreak001
Summary: AU (sort of): World War II has just finished, and Private Vincent Keller has found his way home to find his fiancée, the young, beautiful Catherine Chandler, involved with another man. However, as he learns about her relationship with the rich and powerful ADA Gabriel Lowan, will he choose to fight for her heart or let her be with a man she may or may not love. (Read more inside)
1. Prologue

**WriterFreak001:** So this is more like a tease to see what you guys think as my next story project.

Extra note: Because this story is based off of a time in the 1940s, Catherine's shortened nickname will be Cathy and Vincent's will be Vinnie.

Also, Zach has a small presence in this chapter. I didn't know his last name – I don't recall BATB ever giving him one – so I chose "Redford" since Blair Redford is the actor who starred as Zach in BATB 2.05 "Reunion."

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | If Love Should Count You Worthy

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | AU (sort of): World War II has just finished, and Private Vincent Keller has found his way home to find his fiancée, the young, beautiful Catherine Chandler, involved with another man. However, as he learns about her relationship with the rich and powerful ADA Gabriel Lowan, will he choose to fight for her heart or let her be with a man she may or may not even love? If you love stories filled with romance, angst, heartache, suspense, secrets, hidden agendas and more, then you've come to the right place!

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p>Normal Text ~ Present<p>

_Italics _~ _Past_

* * *

><p><span><strong>If Love Should Count You Worthy<strong>

**Prologue**

**Written by: WriterFreak001**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

As the boarded the plane for home, Private Vincent Ryan Keller could not help but wonder what his heart was doing back in New York City. Before he left for the war, he was the luckiest man alive; he was a well-paid doctor who was needed overseas to serve his country, he was in love and engaged with the smartest, most beautiful, funny, sensuous woman in all of the world, and they planned to marry after his return. Now that the war was over, and he was heading back home, he could not wait to marry Miss Catherine Chandler.

He had kept every single letter she had written to him, and as the years drew on, the amount of letters grew slimmer, but at least she still wrote when she could. As for him, when he was not trying to save someone's life, he was writing. And oh, did he write. He described the intensities of his job and what sort of people he was treating. He also wrote about his colleagues, telling her about all of the things they carried in their pockets.

He wanted Catherine to know everything; for, if she did, it would feel as though she was standing right beside him. As he took his seat in the plane, he pulled the small wallet-sized picture of his dame back home out of his pocket and caressed her face with the pads of his thumbs. Soon, though, he would be able to hold her and kiss her and latch onto her forever.

"We haven't even left the damn continent, and you're already droolin', Keller." Private Thomas Fuller chuckled as he took a seat next to Vincent. "I'm sure your gal will be waitin' for you like no other. Once she spots ya, she'll run like hell and lay a nice one on ya."

Vincent smacked his arm. "Knock it off, Fuller. Cathy's not like that." No, he grinned. She would smile and _maybe _hug him and then when they were alone, she would grab him by the face and kiss him silly. Then again, it _had _been almost two years since he had last seen her so she _might _be more forthcoming.

He smirked at the thought. "What about you, Simmons?" He turned to ask the lieutenant behind him. "How's Beth doing?"

"Doin purty good; tho, shes glad 'im a'goin over home, y'kno? It's a bit hard takin care o'the kids when thars only one o'ya." Specialist Jimmy Simmons laughed. "I bet, after a night o'passhun, she's a'gonna dump them brats in m'lap and leave fer a munth's vacayshun."

"Can you blame her?" Zachary Redford lightly punched Jimmy in the shoulder. "She's probably gone insane after trying to care for your two little twin boys for so long. Maybe you'll find out she's dumped your kids in the orphanage and then joined a convent."

"Nah. Beth may stress out a lil too much sumtimes, but next t'me, she werships Jimmy Junior and Danny. Ain't nothin' goin t'make her git rid o'them kids." Jimmy replied as he leaned backwards and placed his hands behind his head.

"So you say," Zach teased. "Anyway, since everybody's talking about their girls back home, I've got me a nice, fine lady waiting for me to come home and finally ask her to marry me."

"How do you know she's waiting for you to propose?" Thomas asked with a smirk. "For all you know, she thinks you're a chicken and has slept with forty different men while you've been wasting your time with all of us losers."

Zachary shook his head. "Like all of you, I trust my Gabriella. We left on good terms; I didn't want to make her a promise I couldn't keep – especially if I was gonna get my ass killed out there. Now that we're all goin' home, I can pop the question whenever I want."

"Just don't get your hopes up in case she's seeing other men," Thomas said, but Zach ignored him. "While all you lucky fellas got yourselves ladies waiting for ya, I'm still waitin' for Miss Right to arrive. Speaking of which," Thomas looked around the plane, "Do any of your gals have sisters?"

Vincent's ears perked up, but he decided not to answer. Yes, Catherine had a sister, but once he and Cathy marry, Heather would become his sister-in-law, and the _last _thing he wanted was to be related to Private Thomas Fuller; he may be a good guy at times, but for most of the time, he was an ass.

As the engine roared to life, Vincent lowered his hat over his eyes and drifted into a deep sleep, thinking only of his beloved Catherine Chandler.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

_For minutes, they sat in silence, unsure of where the future was going to take them. Vincent had found out he was recruited to serve as an overseas medic and was instructed to leave for training in one week. Of course, he couldn't leave New York without telling Catherine; she would hate him for life had he left without warning. Only moments ago, he broke the news to his beloved, and he could tell she was having a hard time processing it. _

_He couldn't blame her, though. _

_He was still trying to wrap his mind around leaving as well. _

_Finally, she spoke. "How long will you be gone?" He watched her fingers fidget with her white gloves as she stared into the dirt below them. _

"_I don't know," he answered the God-honest truth. "I wish I knew, Cathy, but I don't even think the higher-ups know either." _

"_Oh." _

"_Yeah." _

_She closed her eyes and then opened them as she turned towards him in search of answers. "So," she licked her deep red lips and looked away from him, "Where does that leave us?" _

_Vincent cupped her face and wiped her silent tears away with the pads of his thumbs before planting a quick kiss on her forehead. "Cathy," he leaned his head against hers, "You're the best thing that has happened to me in a very long time. And even though I'll be away, you'll always be my girl." He pulled a black velvet box out of his pocket and placed it in Catherine's lap. He slid off of the bench and dropped to his knee before taking Catherine's hands in his. "If you are willing to wait for me, Cathy, for however long it takes, then open the box and say you'll marry me when I come home." He looked into her eyes and tried to read her thoughts._

_Catherine covered the jewelry box with her hands and gave him a look of disbelief. "You wanna marry me?" _

_He cupped her face. "I wanna spend the rest of my life with you, Cathy. You're everything that's good in my life, and I need to know if you'll be here when I return." _

_She touched his hands and pulled them away from her cheeks before bringing them to her lips. "I'll be here," she mumbled against his fingers. "And however long it takes," she reached over for the velvet box and held it in front of her. "I will wait an eternity, Vincent." Slowly, she opened the box and released a small gasp when she saw the beautiful single diamond sitting on top of a simple, silver band. _

_His eyes lit up as she slid the engagement ring over her finger and marveled at its beauty. Then, she slid off of the bench and wrapped her arms around his neck. Seeing the radiant smile beaming from her lips made his heart leap. He was the happiest and luckiest man in the world. "Now kiss me, you big lug." _

"_Gladly," he whispered and then kissed her hard on the mouth. _

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

As the unit filed off of the plane, Vincent could see some of his buddies running towards their loved ones the moment their feet touch the ground. When Vincent stepped off of the plane, he scanned the area of happy, crying people as he looked for Catherine. When he couldn't find her, he frowned. Odd. He could have sworn he wrote to her detailing his return. Perhaps she was on her way? Perhaps his letter was lost in the mail? Or…, perhaps she's moved on…. No. He would not think such a thought. If Catherine wasn't within the crowd, she most likely had a very good reason for missing. He pushed past people in hopes to find his fiancée, but no matter how many people he had gently pushed aside, she simply wasn't there.

He scanned the crowd once more and noticed his best friend, Justin Tyler Forbes, waving in his direction. He made his way past the swarm of people and greeted JT with a handshake. "Long time, no see." JT smirked as he took Vincent's duffel away from him.

"It's great to be back," Vincent smiled and then decided to ask a brave question. "Where's Catherine?"

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

**WriterFreak001: **Like I said, this was only a tease to see if anybody is interested in reading more. I decided to take a small break from _Defying the Stars _to write this teaser for all of you lovely beasties. However, as thrilling as this teaser may be, I will not add any more chapters to it UNTIL I have finished _Defying the Stars_. This was just a preview to my next project.

If you are curious to know what the engagement ring looks like, visit my Tumblr Page and look for the heading: "#BATB|| 'If Love Should Count You Worthy' Teaser." Send me a private message if you cannot find it.

Please review and let me know what you think! :)


	2. Chapter 1

**WriterFreak001:** I know I said I would not be updating this until I finish DTS, but since I had some extra time, I thought I would add a little bit more before updating DTS this weekend. :) I hope you enjoy this chapter. :D

Note: I had this idea running through my head BEFORE Gabe became a raging lunatic and got himself killed. So, bear with me. ;)

Note #2: Due to the timeframe of this story, expect spoken errors like double negatives and whatnot.

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | If Love Should Count You Worthy

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | AU (sort of): World War II has just finished, and Private Vincent Keller has found his way home to find his fiancée, the young, beautiful Catherine Chandler, involved with another man. However, as he learns about her relationship with the rich and powerful ADA Gabriel Lowan, will he choose to fight for her heart or let her be with a man she may or may not even love? If you love stories filled with romance, angst, heartache, suspense, secrets, hidden agendas and more, then you've come to the right place!

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p>Normal Text ~ Present<p>

_Italics _~ _Past_

* * *

><p><strong>Last time…<strong>

As the unit filed off of the plane, Vincent could see some of his buddies running towards their loved ones the moment their feet touch the ground. When Vincent stepped off of the plane, he scanned the area of happy, crying people as he looked for Catherine. When he couldn't find her, he frowned. Odd. He could have sworn he wrote to her detailing his return. Perhaps she was on her way? Perhaps his letter was lost in the mail? Or…, perhaps she's moved on…. No. He would not think such a thought. If Catherine wasn't within the crowd, she most likely had a very good reason for missing. He pushed past people in hopes to find his fiancé, but no matter how many people he had gently pushed aside, she simply wasn't there.

He scanned the crowd once more and noticed his best friend, Justin Tyler Forbes, waving in his direction. He made his way past the swarm of people and greeted JT with a handshake. "Long time, no see." JT smirked as he took Vincent's duffel away from him.

"It's great to be back," Vincent smiled and then decided to ask a brave question. "Where's Catherine?"

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><p><strong>If Love Should Count You Worthy<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 1**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

After a few seconds of silence passed between the best of friends, Vincent frowned. "Well? Where is she?"

JT sighed as they started walking towards his car. "She didn't come."

"Is she all right?" Vincent's snapped his head towards JT as his heart skipped a beat.

"Look, Vinnie, this ain't really my business," JT started as they hopped into his black Bentley Mark IV, "but since you're my best friend, I feel obligated to set you straight." Once everything was good and ready, JT backed out of the parking lot and headed for the highway.

"Set me straight on what, JT?" Vincent did not like the tone of his best friend's voice; it sounded ominous and upset. Had something happened to his sweetheart? "JT?"

"I don't wanna be the harbinger of bad news or nothin', but," JT looked to the left and then the right, and then he merged onto the highway towards Vincent's apartment, "Cathy's seeing someone else."

"W-what?" Vincent's stomach flipped. "No," he shook his head, "she wouldn't. That's not like her. Did you tell her I was coming home?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because I didn't think it would have been smart to do so. Besides! I haven't even spoken to her since you left, Vincent." JT briefly looked at Vincent before turning his eyes towards the road.

"Then how do you know she's seeing another man?"

"Because…. I just do. I swear, it's the God-honest truth," JT frowned. "I don't like it any more than you do, Vinnie, but I'm just tellin' you what I know."

As true as it might be, Vincent refused to believe JT. He had to see everything through his own eyes. "Take me to her."

"What?!"

"You heard me, dammit! Take me to see Catherine." Vincent snapped as JT sighed and shook his head.

"You asked for it." JT mumbled, but Vincent Keller heard him loud and clear. There had to be some mistake! Catherine promised him forever so why would she break her promise?

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

JT dropped Vincent off at Catherine's apartment building, saying he would deliver Vincent's duffel to their digs. When JT left, Vincent swallowed the hard lump in his throat and walked into the complex. He stepped into the elevator and was taken to the fifth floor to Catherine's residence. When the elevator operator stopped the elevator at the fifth floor, Vincent paid him a tip and walked out. He headed down the hallway and stopped in front of room 513. He rose his fist and placed it on the plywood door. Should he knock? Should he walk away and pretend he was never here? Or should he stay and demand for answers?

Thinking of the promise Catherine had made to him before he left for the war, he decided he wanted answers. Without any more hesitation, Vincent knocked against the door and waited for a response.

A few seconds passed. Nothing.

He knocked again, slightly louder.

"Coming!" an angelic voice called from the other side of the door. He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly. Yes. He had to know. The door swung open, and a pair of hazel eyes widened at the sight of him. "Vincent," she gasped and clasped her hand over her mouth.

"Hi."

Almost instantly, she turned away and darted away from him; however, he followed. He reached out to grab her hand, but when he noticed she was heading straight for the bathroom, he withdrew his palm as she slammed the bathroom door shut. Then came the wretched sounds he hated hearing; they sounded painful. On instinct, he pushed the door open and dropped down to the floor behind her; he pulled her hair up and held it with one hand as he rubbed her back with the other. When Catherine reached up to flush the toilet, Vincent pulled a towel off of the rack and handed it to her. She warily took it and wiped her mouth. "I'll be outside…," he said and walked out of the bathroom to give her some privacy. Minutes later, she came out of the bathroom with tear-stained eyes and just stared at him as if she was trying to figure out if he was real or now. She took a step towards him and in seconds, she jumped into his arms as if the past several minutes did not happen. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as close as he could. It felt like old times.

"I'm here, Cathy. I'm here," he whispered into her ear as his fingers combed through her long hair. She had grown it since he was gone.

When she heard his voice, she pulled away and distanced herself. "Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why did you have to come back?" Tears fell as her voice cracked.

His eyebrows shot upwards. "Why did I have t – why are you even asking? I came back because I thought you would want to see me." Did she not? From the hug she had given him earlier, he was getting some mixed signals.

"No," she shook her head and then walked over to her couch to sit down. He did the same. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

She licked her lips and released a sharp breath as if she was preparing herself for more tears. She closed her eyes as her head fell backwards. Then, she looked at him. "How are you here?"

"JT dropped me off."

"No!" she shot up and threw her hands into the air. "_How _are you here?! They told me you were dead!"

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

**WriterFreak001: Eh-heh-heh-heh…. **

**What do you think this could mean? **

**Consider this as another teaser. Once I am finished with DTS, I will have more time to devote to this story so chapters will be longer. Sigh...if only FFN was a paid profession.  
><strong>


	3. Chapter 2

**WriterFreak001: **As promised, here is the next update. :) Enjoyyy!

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | If Love Should Count You Worthy

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | AU (sort of): World War II has just finished, and Private Vincent Keller has found his way home to find his fiancée, the young, beautiful Catherine Chandler, involved with another man. However, as he learns about her relationship with the rich and powerful ADA Gabriel Lowan, will he choose to fight for her heart or let her be with a man she may or may not even love? If you love stories filled with romance, angst, heartache, suspense, secrets, hidden agendas and more, then you've come to the right place!

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p><strong>Last time…<strong>

"Why did you have to come back?" Tears fell as her voice cracked.

His eyebrows shot upwards. "Why did I have t – why are you even asking? I came back because I thought you would want to see me." Did she not? From the hug she had given him earlier, he was getting some mixed signals.

"No," she shook her head and then walked over to her couch to sit down. He did the same. "That's not what I meant."

"What did you mean, then?"

She licked her lips and released a sharp breath as if she was preparing herself for more tears. She closed her eyes as her head fell backwards. Then, she looked at him. "How are you here?"

"JT dropped me off."

"No!" she shot up and threw her hands into the air. "_How _are you here?! You're supposed to be dead!"

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><p><strong>If Love Should Count You Worthy<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 2**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Vincent couldn't believe what he was hearing; had she wanted him dead? Did she orchestrate something to kill him off? To free her from her burden? Or, was it something else. "Well," he wasn't sure how to respond to such a statement, "Obviously I ain't."

"No. No. No. No. No!" She clutched her head and shook it left to right. "This cannot be happening." She took a few steps backwards until her back was against a wall. "You're just a figment of my imagination. Yeah," she was hysterical. "That's it. You're not real! You can't be!" She was actually smiling, trying to convince herself of something that wasn't true. He took three steps towards her and trapped her against the wall.

"Trust me, sugar," his hot breath slithered against her neck as he pressed his prickly cheek against her own, "This ain't a dream or a hallucination. It's the real deal."

He leaned in to kiss her, but when she realized how close he was, she pushed him away. "I can't do this," Catherine shook her head as tears spilled from her eyes.

"Why not?" Vincent frowned.

"It took me _months _to mourn your death, Vincent. Months! They told me you were dead," her lips were trembling, "so I moved on." She waved her hand in front of his face, "and I am happily engaged to someone else."

Vincent felt like he was going to vomit. "W-what?"

"I'm sorry, Vincent, but I can't just end my relationship simply because you came back into my life! That wouldn't be fair to my fiancé!" He could tell she was conflicted; she had a duty to her fiancé, but he knew her heart still belonged to him. She walked towards the door and opened it, but he wouldn't leave.

"Who told you I was dead?! I wrote you letters, Cathy! Surely you must have gotten them!?" He was horribly confused and feared he was going to lose the woman he loved merely because of some miscommunication error.

"What letters?" she blinked her tears back. "I haven't received a letter from you in over a year." He watched her as a single tear fell down her cheek. "I even went to your funeral, Vincent."

"That's funny, Cathy, because I just met with JT Forbes, and he made no indication that I was supposedly six feet under. Tell me," Vincent frowned. "Who all came to my funeral, if you don't mind me asking?"

She opened her mouth to respond but gave no answer.

"Was it only you?" He stood firm in his stance.

"T-there was no body…, and your superiors, General Hudson and Colonel Simmons, did not know of anybody else to contact; JT, Tess and I had sort of a falling out after you left for war, and we haven't spoken since. So," she inhaled a deep breath, "aside from…," her voice faded, "I was the only other person who attended your funeral ceremony."

"Aside from who?" he did not like where this conversation was going. Had she been seeing someone even before his alleged death? Surely not!

"No one," she raked her hair away from her face. "It doesn't matter."

"The hell it does!" Vincent threw his hands into the air. "I come back to you only to find out that I'm supposed to be dead, and my fiancée is smitten with another man! Damn straight it matters!"

"We're not having this conversation now." She was growing weary. "Please…, just go."

"No." He shook his head. "I'm not leaving until you tell me what the hell is going on! Besides, I never had any commanding officers named Hudson or Simmons; from what you're telling me, Cathy, the funeral you went to was fake."

"No," she wouldn't hear it. "No." She was barely holding it together as she stared at him. "W-why would you do this to me?!" Before he knew it, she fell to the floor and cupped her face in her hands. Vincent raced over to her and wrapped his strong arms around her, holding her frail body to his like he once did several years ago. She cried into his arms; he wondered if she was crying because she was simply overwhelmed with his sudden presence or if she was crying because she was grateful he was alive. For several minutes, he continued to comfort her by rocking her in his arms and kissing her softly on top of her head.

Finally, when her throat was too dry to cry anymore, she looked up at him with her puffy, red eyes. Oh, how he desperately wished he could heal her heart with his lips – his touch – his everything. When she opened her mouth to say something, he did the one thing he had been longing to do since he had left for the war. And, oh, did she comply. She wrapped her arms around his neck and twisted her fingers through his hair as their lips kissed each other in a messy, wet reunion. Both of them were trembling, clawing, craving, and then a small sound shook them out of their revelry.

Without a single word, Catherine tore away from Vincent and scrambled to the first room on the right down the hallway. Vincent rose to his feet as the crying sounds grew louder. He made his way to the room where Catherine had disappeared into, but he was not prepared for the sight in front of him. Catherine – _his _Cathy – was rocking a small, whining infant in her arms, begging the babe to quiet down. The child had to be no more than a year old. "Shhhh…," Catherine kissed the baby's dark mane of hair and whispered, "It's okay, it's okay, little one. Mommy is here. Mommy is _always _here." Catherine then checked the child's diaper, but nothing needed changing. She kissed the child's head again and frowned. Shifting the babe against her left arm, she placed the back of her hand against the baby's forehead and muttered, "Why do you feel so warm?"

Vincent was mesmerized with the scene in front of him. He was no fool; he did not need to do the math. At first glance, he knew the blubbing child was his. Without thinking, he walked into the room to offer his aid. "May I?"

Catherine's eyes flicked over in his direction and slowly nodded. Without a word, she carefully placed the child in Vincent's arms, wondering what could be going through his mind. "She had a fever about a week ago when she developed a cold. After the doctor suggested giving her a lot of fluids, her fever went down, and she seemed all right so I didn't think to take her in again."

Vincent drank in the sight of his daughter and felt her forehead just as Catherine had done beforehand. "We need to get her back to my place; she may have developed an infection, and I have the proper equipment there to examine her."

"O-okay," she nodded with relief. Gratefully, she didn't put his place up for sale; his home was just one of the many things she wasn't ready to give up. At times, dare she ever admit it to her current fiancé, she would go to Vincent's home and sleep in his bed. Truth be told, she didn't think she could ever let him go, and now, here he was, the man she had thought she would never see again, standing in front of her and holding their child. A sight she thought she would never see. "We'll take a cab."

Quickly, Catherine gathered everything she thought she needed, and then they left her apartment in a hurry.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

Catherine watched Vincent work quickly; if there was anything she knew he was good at, it was his practice in medicine. He was always so fast and efficient and never made room for error. "Will she be all right?"

"As I thought, she had a double ear infection; as a precaution, I gave her a dose of acetaminophen through injection; if the infection is worse or if her fever does not go down within the next twenty-four hours, I will then increase the dosage amount accordingly. Right now, it is best she rests for as long as she can. I suggest to keep her here over night so I can keep an eye on her and make sure she does not develop any other problems. Will that be alright?"

Catherine nodded. "Yes. Whatever it takes."

Vincent then picked up the small child and placed her on top of a white, fur rug in the family room. He then dropped a lightweight blanket on top of her to keep her warm and cozy. Then, he looked at Catherine and frowned. "We need to talk."

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

**WriterFreak001: **What do you think? Will Catherine crawl back into Vincent's arms now that he knows about their daughter? Or, will she still be conflicted? Remember, we still haven't 'met' her fiancé yet. More to come! PS. Not sure if bringing in the babe was a smart idea. Perhaps I should change it?


	4. Chapter 3

**WriterFreak001: **Sorry for the wait! I started NaNoWriMo yesterday so I have been a busy typing bee. Especially since I still have a major paper to write for one of my college classes (and I haven't even started on it! Shh! Don't tell! ;D) Anyway, Enjoyyy!

_**Please note the description; Gabe will be playing a crucial part in this story. I did not choose Evan because, at the time I created this story, Evan was dead, and Gabe was not.**_

* * *

><p><span><strong>Title<strong> | If Love Should Count You Worthy

**Fandom** | _Beauty and the Beast (CW)_

**Description** | AU (sort of): World War II has just finished, and Private Vincent Keller has found his way home to find his fiancée, the young, beautiful Catherine Chandler, involved with another man. However, as he learns about her relationship with the rich and powerful ADA Gabriel Lowan, will he choose to fight for her heart or let her be with a man she may or may not even love? If you love stories filled with romance, angst, heartache, suspense, secrets, hidden agendas and more, then you've come to the right place!

**Rating**| This fanfiction will be rated T for language, suggested themes and anything else T-rated I might throw in it. If anything, read at your own discretion.

**POV** | Third Person Omniscient

**Disclaimer** | While CW owns _**Beauty & the Beast**_, I am the owner of this Masterpiece.

**Claimer** | I am human; there are bound to be mistakes. If you feel like something _should_ be changed, you have the power to send me a review/private message. I can't guarantee if I'll change it every time, but I do read all of my reviews and all of my private messages!

* * *

><p>Normal Text ~ Present<p>

_Italics _~ _Past_

* * *

><p><strong>Last time…<strong>

Catherine watched Vincent work quickly; if there was anything she knew he was good at, it was his practice in medicine. He was always so fast and efficient and never made room for error. "Will she be all right?"

"As I thought, she had a double ear infection; as a precaution, I gave her a dose of acetaminophen through injection; if the infection is worse or if her fever does not go down within the next twenty-four hours, I will then increase the dosage amount accordingly. Right now, it is best she rests for as long as she can. I suggest to keep her here over night so I can keep an eye on her and make sure she does not develop any other problems. Will that be alright?"

Catherine nodded. "Yes. Whatever it takes."

Vincent then picked up the small child and placed her on top of a white, fur rug in the family room. He then dropped a lightweight blanket on top of her to keep her warm and cozy. Then, he looked at Catherine and frowned. "We need to talk."

* * *

><p><strong>If Love Should Count You Worthy<strong>

**Written by WriterFreak001**

**Chapter 3**

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

_Catherine nervously waited for the doctor to return with the results. She was sure what was going on with her, but her sister had wanted her to get a check-up anyway. A week's worth of vomiting led Catherine to believe she was pregnant, but part of her didn't want it to be true. What would people say if she was carrying a bastard inside of her? To hide from judgement, she pretended her engagement ring was her wedding ring and told the doctor her last name was Keller. When he had asked her why her name was still Chandler on her files, she simply lied and told him they had recently married and still were slowly transitioning into changing everything. He even asked her where her "husband" was; she told him the partial truth: "A few days ago, he was drafted into war and left yesterday morning." On the contrary, Vincent had left for Europe a month ago. _

_"Mrs. Keller?" a nurse called out her name. _

_"Yes?" she squeaked. _

_"Please follow me." the nurse replied as Catherine stood up. She followed the petite woman into a room where she had to wait even longer for the doctor to give her his conclusions. _

_Minutes passed. "Mrs. Keller?" _

_"Hm?" _

_"Depending on how you would like to take this, the test results were positive." _

_"What does that mean?" Her heart sank. _

_"You're pregnant."_

* * *

><p>"I can't leave her by herself, Vinnie." Catherine looked over at the sleeping babe as Vincent rose to his feet and sat down beside her.<p>

"I'm not asking you to, Cathy." Vincent took her hands in his and held them close to his heart. "I'd feel better if we stay in here anyway; in case her fever spikes, you know?"

Catherine inhaled a deep breath and nodded. "I suppose you're wanting me to explain a few things." She continued to look at the little girl sleeping on the floor as if she was ashamed to look him straight in the face. "In case you're wonderin,' I didn't know I was pregnant when you left for war. I found out about a month later."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

She laughed with distress and finally looked at him. "What would you have done if I did?"

"I would have come back."

"You couldn't have come back, Vinnie." She tore her hands away from his and turned away from him. "You were drafted into war to serve your country. There was no way – not with so many lives on your hands – your superiors would have let you come home. And I couldn't do that to you. I know you," she still wouldn't look at him, "had you known you were going to be a father, you would have been distracted; I couldn't live with myself if you had lost someone because you were distracted. There was no way I was going to be that burden for you." Catherine rose to her feet and walked over to the window.

"Cathy, don't you see?" Vincent walked over to her. He touched her shoulder but she shrugged away from him. He was a little more forceful the next time and turned her around to face him, holding both of her shoulders underneath his strong grip. "Don't you understand that I was distracted every single day I was over there? You were always in my mind, Catherine; always. I had to quickly learn how to expel you from my mind temporarily as I amputated someone's leg or dug a bullet out of another's chest. Not being here with you was the hardest thing for me to wrap my mind around; I had seen some God-awful things over there, and as selfish as this is to say it, but being away from you was the worst thing I could ever experience."

Catherine tried to worm her way out of his embrace. She couldn't deal with this now! Was he trying to make her feel guilty?! She thought he was dead, for God's sake! And then to be ambushed by his ghost?! It was all too, too much!

"Catherine!" he shook her, "What if I had died, dammit? I would have died, not knowing about our baby girl! Did you ever think about that?!"

"I thought you _had _died, Vincent!" She screamed with tears spilling from her eyes. She pounded on his chest. "All of this time, I would wake up every morning and see our child's face. I would smile and be grateful to have such a gift from you. And then I would remember that I never told you about her – that you were gone and you never knew about her. I felt guilty every single day, Vinnie. Every single day and cried every single night for months. For months!" She pushed him backwards, causing him to fall. Before he could do anything, she raced to the bathroom like she had the first time he arrived before her eyes.

He hated hearing her retching coughs. She should never have had to go through such an ordeal. Which brought the question: why did Catherine believe he was dead when his own best friend, JT Forbes, knew he was alive and well? Yes, Catherine did mention that she had drifted away from JT and Tess over the last few years, and rightfully so. His absence and her pregnancy had more than likely put a toll on her relationship with friends and family. He walked over to his daughter and felt her head. It was cooler than earlier. Good. Her fever was breaking. She should be better in the morning.

As much as he wanted to comfort Catherine, he couldn't very well leave the infant alone in the room – even if she was only sleeping. He had caused a lot of damage already; he could not risk causing any more. Carefully, he wrapped the infant in the blanket and rocked her in his arms. To be looking at the child for the first time without needing to check her pulse or give her medicine overwhelmed him. Not once did he expect to come home and find out he had conceived a child with Catherine before leaving for war. Good God, could this be real?

As he continued to rock the little girl within his arms, he noticed the dark brown, silky hair matted against her tiny face. Her nose was small and button-like and her fingers were very long. So were her toes. She had rosy lips like her mother and shared Catherine's skin complexion. God, she was such a beautiful creature. He rocked her back and forth, and she made not a single peep. He wondered how many sleepless nights Catherine had to endure without him because of the baby. Did she sleep at all? Did she ever think of him even though she had believed him to be dead? What was going on in her mind right now? This very instant? He would move Heaven and Earth in order to know what she was thinking.

* * *

><p><em>Vincent wanted nothing more than to hop over the pond and swoop his fiancée in his arms and kiss the senseless mind out of her. God, he missed her. As he looked at the moon, he wondered what she was doing now. Once again, he sat down and started to write another letter to the woman after his own heart. He was going to tell her everything he had done during the day. Hopefully, she was reading every single letter he had written for they expressed his heart in words he could never say aloud. "Dear Catherine...," <em>

* * *

><p>While he was lost in his thoughts, he didn't realize that the coughing sounds had stopped.<p>

"She seems very comfortable with you." Catherine said as she walked back into the great room. "She's not like that with a lot of people."

"Oh?"

"She cries whenever Heather picks her up." Catherine sat down on the sofa and closed her eyes. He could tell she was greatly tired.

"What about your fiancé?" It was only a matter of time before one of them spoke about him; he might as well be the first to ask.

Catherine was silent at first. Then she said, "He…. He doesn't know."

"He doesn't know?" Vincent's eyes widened to this information. How could she keep their daughter a secret with a man she supposedly wanted to spend the rest of her life with? The very thought made him want to vomit.

"No." She shook her head. "We met…we met after I gave birth." She opened her eyes and looked at him. "Heather watches her whenever I'm with my fiancé."

"_Romantically _with him?" He knew it was none of his business, but he had to know how much of her heart still belonged to him.

She shook her head no. "We haven't…." her voice trailed off. She waited for a response, but when he didn't say anything, she continued, "As much as he obviously wants _it_, I…I just haven't been ready." Her cheeks flared. Why was she even talking about such things with her former fiancé? There should be boundaries, shouldn't there?

Vincent's heart sank. So maybe there was still hope? He was grateful that another man was not an influence in his daughter's life; he hated the thought of competing for such a treasure. Then he realized something. What was her name? Who did Catherine name their daughter after? A goddess? A family member? Something creative and original? "What is her name?"

Catherine smiled as she looked at the sleeping infant in Vincent's arms. "Olivia Grace Keller."

Vincent's heart stopped. "You named her after my mother…."

"After _our _mothers," Catherine said as Vincent sat down next to her and placed little Olivia into her arms. She tucked a soft strand of hair behind the infant's ear and then leaned backwards against the sofa. "Grace was my mother's middle name." She stared into Vincent's eyes, "Since I didn't think naming a baby girl Vincent seemed appropriate, I decided to give her the name Olivia so she would always have some part of your family with her always."

Still wanting to ask a hundred questions, he knew she needed her rest. "Why don't you go and sleep in my bedroom; I can keep an eye on Olivia," God, he loved saying her name, "so you can have a decent night of sleep. I expect she will be better in the morning. Around three in the morning, I'll need to wake her up and have her drink some water."

"No." Catherine shook her head, "just because you find out you have a daughter, I don't want you to feel an obligation towards us."

"Cathy," Vincent caressed her hand, "I don't feel obligated nor do I see you or our daughter as burdens. Believe it or not, sweetheart, I still love you, and I love our child just as much. The world – everything – pales in comparison to the two of you. I will always love both of you, Cathy. Nothing will ever make me stop." He brought her hand up to his lips and kissed her palm. "And I know you know I have a lot of questions, but all can be answered in due time. It is clear you have moved on – or, at least you think you have, and I want you to see where things go with your current fiancé before or if we ever pick up where we left off. I promise to give you space, if that is what you want. But, please, let me love our child as any parent would. If you want to dine with your fiancé, at least let me watch over her instead of calling for your sister. I am willing to wait until you have figured things out, but that does not mean I want to distance myself from her." He was referring to their daughter. "So, please, let me care for the both of you tonight. All right?"

Catherine sighed. "All right. But only tonight." She was too exhausted to argue with him. And besides, how could she deny him to see and love their child? Keeping him away from Olivia would be like not telling him about Olivia's conception. She couldn't do that again to him. Not a second time.

"Thank you," Vincent smiled and then instinctively kissed Catherine's forehead. She placed Olivia into his arms as she stood up and headed for the back room. There was a lot to consider, and she didn't need him to point his bedroom out. She had been there before. As Vincent held his daughter in his arms again, he watched Catherine make her way to his bedroom and reveled in the thought that Catherine – _his _Catherine – was going to be sleeping in his _own _bed that night.

In due time, he hoped she would allow him to share the bed with her. But for now, he was going to take what he could get – even if it was minimal presence with his daughter. Catherine, one day, was going to fall in love with him again; he was sure of it.

**~Beauty & the Beast~**

**WriterFreak001: **Thought this was a good stopping point? What do you think?


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